So, if both American and Dutch parents value independence, why do Dutch kids seem so much happier? I wonder if the key difference lies in how both sets of parents understand what freedom for kids looks like.
“Dutch parenting is all about raising self-sufficient kids,” Tracy told me. “My older two (ages 12 and 14) bike more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) daily to school since there are no school buses.
“If a teacher cancels a class, students just have free time instead of a substitute. My 14-year-old had two canceled classes this morning and simply stayed home until noon. This would be a logistical nightmare for schools and parents if we didn’t just expect our kids to sort it out.”
Dutch parenting, according to the close to a dozen parents in the Netherlands I spoke with, emphasizes allowing children a freedom of movement that many American kids don’t have. When I was in Haarlem and Amsterdam, bikes and little kids on bikes were everywhere.
Good article. We moved to an open concept neighborhood (low open fences, not “privacy” style) and the kids have a lot of movement around the neighborhood since it’s safe, and it has a lot of trails, wide sidewalks, and bike lanes. Yes, it’s more affluent. They’ve definitely been a lot happier than our last house where privacy fences were everywhere. They made friends a lot faster and seem to know everyone.
I think Lemmy just don’t tolerate that view point. I see plenty of hard leftism being tolerated by mods when they shouldn’t. But hey, none of them are my instance. It’s grossly lopsided.
The irrationality and hyper emotional state of a lot of commenters. Not saying there isn’t due cause these days* but people GET. A. GRIP. and control yourself. You aren’t helping others or yourself with that behavior. It’s super immature.
*I’m not talking about being angry. I’m talking about how do I go on living emotional responses.
You should have at least 16” of insulation in your attic. Check for regional guidelines on this as it depends on where you live.
Insulation settles over time so the older the home the less your insulation has air gaps that do the work. This is the lowest cost form of improving your situation and the cost is mostly in labor since it’s hot work. Buy insulation yourself and do the work yourself to save a LOT. You can rent insulation blowers from big box hardware stores and they usually have deals where if you buy a certain amount of insulation the rental is free. Early morning is the best as it’ll be the coolest, drink lots of electrolytes when you start sweating. New insulation has rolled ends so it’s not the super itchy type of yore. It’s not terrible and you’ll be glad you did it once it’s over. Having a hand is not essential but makes it a lot easier.
We insulated our garage with paper backed rolled insulation for 2x4s for not much more than $300 over a few months (I did the labor) and it improved the temp swings by ~40°. Absolutely great investment and it was super easy to do. All I needed was a stapler, tape measure, utility knife, a ladder, and myself.
Buy a meat thermometer and put it in your floor or ceiling vents. You should have a 20°F+ drop from what the room is at to what is coming out of your vents. This is known as a delta T (temperature difference). If it’s lower you need to get your AC checked out by a reputable company with warranties and guarantees. Chuck and truck is always a waste of time and money, they’re lower cost up front but you will regret it most of the time. If your system is 15 years or older you may need to get it replaced as repairs are often more costly than it’s worth and all newer system are much more efficient, saving you $ in the long term.
Duct sealing is another thing that can improve your AC issues. Most ducts leak 40% due to holes in joints etc. The air you want to get to the furthest part of your house isn’t getting there at its full extent. Look for companies that Aeroseal. This will be cheaper than a mini split but can be as effective. You’re looking at a few thousand depending on the size of your situation.
I’m similar expect I don’t take magnesium. I also have aphantasia. I get 8 hours nightly and wake up refreshed. I do drink 1 cup of coffee every morning. Acetaminophen and/or Ibuprofen as needed which isn’t often and usually only for a tension headache. No other drugs. I drink on occasion but no more than 1-3 beers/week and the rare night bourbon. My wife cans all of our veggies that are cannable so we know they’re fresh. We have pigs raised (working on a cow) and we eat pretty clean food (know how it was raised/grown) as much as possible.
I can’t remember the last time I can remember a dream, it’s been that long. I also have a terrible memory and it takes a a lot of effort to retain events, even something that happened last week, they’re mostly fading memories.
Good news is that means I’m generally very upbeat most of the time. I do not have bipolar disorder or any other mental issue that I know of. I’m very even keeled, so much so that I find Lemmy’s reactions to things happening in the world to be super amplified and irrational. Sometimes it’s warranted, many it’s simply bad for their mental health.
If you have to wear a mask to hide your face to do your job, you’re the bad person. And if their leaders don’t know they’re doing this then they’re bad leaders.
Thank you for your service in this particular way.
One of my best neighbors is a former Navy nurse from a dirt as poor part of Jamaica 🇯🇲. He immigrated this way. Amazing guy and has a great family. My daughter and his daughter are best friends.
This is also not that accurate. Cities are where it rings true most and the US has a LOT of space in between them away from the coasts. It’s not really like tightly packed Europe and more like Scandinavia.
I also know a total of 0 people that make minimum wage, even in entry level jobs right out of high school.
There’s only 2 builders around here that do things better and they cost $100K more for the same sq ft. That’s what we went with. No major issues at all. One minor issue was the moron HVAC installers not using the max amp breaker on the condenser causing it to trip when under heavy load. The right size fixed it. Thanks building regional for passing their inspection you asshats.
Good article. We moved to an open concept neighborhood (low open fences, not “privacy” style) and the kids have a lot of movement around the neighborhood since it’s safe, and it has a lot of trails, wide sidewalks, and bike lanes. Yes, it’s more affluent. They’ve definitely been a lot happier than our last house where privacy fences were everywhere. They made friends a lot faster and seem to know everyone.